North India Statesman
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A shocking picture has emerged from India’s domestic aviation sector. According to the data presented in the Rajya Sabha by the Central Government, the country’s skies are now dominated by only two big airline groups – IndiGo and Air India Group. These two groups together control 91 percent of India’s total domestic market, threatening the survival of small airlines.
Indigo ‘King’, Air India at second position
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Muralidhar Mohol presented the full details of the market share in a written reply to a question by Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghosh in the Rajya Sabha:
IndiGo: It remains the undisputed leader of the Indian aviation market. Its market share in January 2026 63.6% doing.
Air India Group (Air India, AI Express, Vistara): The stake of this group owned by Tata Group will increase in January 2026. 26.5% Was recorded.
Other Airlines: Akasa Air, SpiceJet and other regional airlines now have market share 9% Only part is left.
‘Crisis’ of December 2025: 5,689 Indigo flights canceled
The government also revealed in the House the ‘raw file’ of the drastic reduction in flights done by IndiGo late last year. Lakhs of passengers faced problems due to airline mismanagement in December 2025:
Mass Cancellation: In December 2025 alone, Indigo 5,689 domestic flights Cancelled.
Impact on passengers: In just three days of December More than 3.64 lakh passengers Were impressed.
Reason: Huge irregularities in pilots’ scheduling and new ‘flight duty time limitations’ (FDTL) Failure to follow the rules was the main reason for this crisis.
₹46 crore flowed in compensation: Status of refund
Airlines have had to dig deep into their pockets after sudden cancellation of flights and huge uproar by passengers:
Damages: According to the government, IndiGo has not yet paid compensation to the affected passengers. ₹46.20 crore (Rs 4,620.5 lakh) has been paid.
Refund: The ministry has assured that refunds related to the December mass cancellations have been processed and the money has been sent back to customers in their original payment mode.
Government under siege over lack of data
The most worrying thing in this entire incident was that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)DGCA) was shown to be missing several important data. The government admitted that it had no official record that:
How many passengers were clearly refused refunds?
What was the total financial impact of this crisis on passengers?
Due to non-availability of alternative travel arrangements, many passengers had to buy expensive tickets at their own expense.
Experts’ Opinion: Experts believe that with only two groups having 91% of the market, a ‘duopoly’ situation is being created, due to which arbitrary increase in air fares and reduction in the quality of services may be seen in the future.
